Improvement in machines for coating paper with tobacco-pulp



- T. J. F-ERGUSON. Machine for Coating Paper with Tobacco-Pulp. No.201,340.

Patented March 19, 1878..

A'rronuev UN TED; STATES PATENT. OFFICE.

THOMAS J. FERGUSON, OF- PIKESVILLE, MARYLAND. I

IMPROVEMENT iN MACHINES FOR COATINGPAPER WITH TOBACCO-PULP. v

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 201,340, dated March19, 1878; application filed January 26, 1878.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, THOMAS J. FERGUSON, of Pikesville, Baltimore county,State of Maryland, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inMachines for the Manufactureof Imitation Tobacco; and I hereby declarethe same to be fully, clearly, and exactly described as follows,reference being had to the accompanying drawing, in which isillustrated, in side elevation, the apparatus which I employ.

This invention relates to devices for coating sheets of fibrous materialwith tobacco pulp in imitation of the natural leaf; and it consists incertain details of construction and combinations of parts constitutingsuch a machine, whereby a superior article of artificial tobacco-leaf isproduced.

Heretofore, in practicing this art, it has been customary to disintegrate tobacco scraps,either by the action of heat with or withoutchemical reagents, or to submit the tobacco to a process of rotting ordecay, and finally to coat sheets of paper or similar tissue with thesoprepared tobacco. In either case the product is inferior, as theflavor of the tobacco is greatly impaired by the preliminary processesreferred to.

I obviate these objections by certain processes hereinafter described,and produce an artificial tobacco-leaf closely resembling the naturalone in outward appearance, and un distinguishable from it in flavor.

The apparatus I use is shown in the accompanying drawing, and consistsof a frame, A, in which is journaled the crank-shaft B, carrying agear-wheel, which meshes with a rack on the under side of the frame 0.Above the rack are mounted two pairs of rollers, a a a a, and betweenthem a tank or trough, D, is placed, in which latter a roller, d, isjournaled, its lower portion dipping in the trough.

The roller d is connected with another cylinder, d, and this in turndrives, by means of a belt or other gearing, two other rollers, e e,mounted in a second trough, E. 'The rollers d, e, and e are furnishedwith scrapers d e e, adjusted by set-screws, as shown.

Such is a description of the apparatus in general terms.

The supports or bearings for the rollers and tanks are omitted in the.drawing in order to better illustrate the construction and arran gementof the other parts.

Obviously, the adaptation and attachment of such supports may be changedor modified without departing from the spirit of my invention.

In practice I proceed as follows: Tobacco clippings from which thelarger and coarser stems are removed are reduced to pulp by any suitablemeans, and the pulp is placed in the tanks D and E. A sheet of fibroustissue, f, such as ordinary tissue-paper, is then led between therollers, as shown, and out at the end of the machine.

In passing over the roller d the side of the paper which is uppermost asit .is delivered to the machine is coated with a uniform supply of thetobacco pulp, which process is repeated as to the other side of thepaper by the rollers e e in the second tank. A perfectly uniformdelivery of tobacco pulp is insured by the scrapers d e e, producing anarticle of artificial leaf of superior appearance and texture.

It will be seen that two rollers are used in the second tank, in orderto insure a delivery of pulp equal to that applied to the other side ofthe papera construction which isnecessary on account of the capacity ofthe Sheetfor absorbing liquid being diminished by the first applicationof pulp.

Obviously, the surface speed of the various rollers must be uniform, inorder to prevent on one hand the sagging, and on the other the tearing,of the sheet.

As the sheet is delivered at the end of the machine it is hung, asshown, upon rods 9 g, laid upon the frame 0, where it is allowed to dry.The frame 0 is moved, as occasion requires, by means of the gear-wheelupon the shaft B.

Any suitable flavoring may be added, if desired, to the tobacco pulp,and the power for driving the mechanism may be applied in any suitableand convenient manner.

The process hereinbefore described and the article thereby produced Ipropose to make the subject of a separate application for LettersPatent.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire tosecure by Letters Patent,.is

1. In a machine for applying tobacco pulp to paper, a pair of tanks forcontaining the pulp, each having a coating-roller, in combination withan intermediate roller for directing the paper from one coating-rollerto the other, so that the sheet is coated successively on both sides,substantially as described.

2. The combination, with the coating-rollers d e e, of the scrapers d!e" e' and reversingroller d, substantially as described.

3. In a machine for applying tobacco pulp to paper, the movable frame 0,having rods g, adapted to receive the sheet directly from thecoating-rollers, substantially as described.

THOMAS J. FERGUSON.

Witnesses:

R. D. WILLIAMS, DAVID G. WEEMS.

